Rihanna Wore Baggy Clothes at Super Bowl Halftime Rehearsals to Hide Pregnancy

Rihanna shocked the world Sunday by announcing her pregnancy during her Super Bowl performance — but it was a well-kept secret even among people who were part of the show.

Super Bowl sources say most of her backup dancers — upwards of 280 had no idea RiRi was preggo before she hit the stage this weekend, and that’s due in part to the baggy clothing she’d been rocking during all the rehearsals.

Sources say Rihanna was wearing very loose-fitting outfits both on Saturday and on Sunday as she was practicing her set. It wasn’t until showtime that anyone involved saw her final costume, which seemed designed to show off her belly.

In other words … Rihanna covered her bases here, not letting anyone involved with the halftime production get a whiff of her pregnancy before she could show it off to all.

Remember, Rihanna was also seen publicly a couple days before the Super Bowl, when she did an interview talking about the different setlists she’d created … and there, too, RiRi seemed to be trying to hide her bump — wearing a big furry jacket and other fluffy garb.

Of course, you could even trace this cover-up back to the Golden Globes in January … where Rihanna and A$AP Rocky showed up in person, with RiRi again wearing a loose-fitting outfit and keeping her purse in front of her stomach throughout much of the broadcast.

Bottom line … this was a long-planned deal, and she got away with it on her terms. Bravo.